Top 10 reasons why the ocean is suddenly a hot topic

The policy brief outlines ten key developments bringing the ocean to the forefront of global priorities, including the 2025 UN Ocean Conference, the BBNJ Agreement, and the role of ocean-based climate solutions. It highlights the increasing need for marine spatial planning to manage competing interests like energy production and deep-sea mining, and notes how climate change is creating new security risks and geopolitical tensions, particularly in the Arctic. The text also emphasizes the importance of 'source-to-sea' approaches in biodiversity and plastic pollution treaties, and the legal victories of small island states in recognizing greenhouse gases as marine pollutants.

• Ocean-based climate solutions are significantly impactful, with research indicating they could provide up to 35% of the greenhouse gas emission reductions required to limit global temperature increases to 1.5°C.
• The ocean is facing increased pressure from human activities and climate change, evidenced by record-high water temperatures and the death of iconic coral reefs.
• Climate change and geopolitical tensions are creating new security risks, including 'border-grabbing' due to 39% of marine borders remaining undefined and increased navigability of the Arctic as ice melts.
• The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement is expected to enter into force in 2024 following ratification by 60 countries, providing a legally binding framework for the two-thirds of the ocean outside national jurisdictions.
• The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea issued an advisory opinion in April recognizing greenhouse gases as marine pollutants that states are required to mitigate.

APA

Barquet, K., & Sköld, M. (2024). Top 10 reasons why the ocean is suddenly a hot topic. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/perspectives/top-10-reasons-why-the-ocean-is-suddenly-a-hot-topic/

Chicago

Barquet, Karina, and Maria Sköld. Top 10 reasons why the ocean is suddenly a hot topic. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2024. https://www.sei.org/perspectives/top-10-reasons-why-the-ocean-is-suddenly-a-hot-topic/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Barquet |first1=Karina |last2=Sköld |first2=Maria |title=Top 10 reasons why the ocean is suddenly a hot topic |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=7 June 2024 |url=https://www.sei.org/perspectives/top-10-reasons-why-the-ocean-is-suddenly-a-hot-topic/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{barquet2024top, author = {Barquet, Karina and Sköld, Maria}, title = {{Top 10 reasons why the ocean is suddenly a hot topic}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2024}, month = jun, url = {https://www.sei.org/perspectives/top-10-reasons-why-the-ocean-is-suddenly-a-hot-topic/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }